Mike Ribeiro signing with the Phoenix Coyotes may have caught some by surprise, but he had special motivation to head to the desert.

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett knows Ribeiro well from their three seasons together in Dallas and for Ribeiro, he couldn’t wait to get back together with his old mentor as NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman shares.

“I think that was my No. 1 goal” he said. “To go somewhere knowing the coach and knowing a little bit of what they were looking for and what my role was going to be and being comfortable, and being able to communicate with the coach. He’s done a great job there in Phoenix. He knows what he can get from me and I know what he wants and I’m ready to work for that.”

Ribeiro had two of his biggest seasons as a pro under Tippett. In 2007-2008 he had 27 goals and 56 assists for a career-high 83 points. He followed that up with 78 points the next year.

While his production hasn’t been quite that high lately, if he can bring his deft touch in setting others up, the Coyotes will be more than happy to have it.

Sharks GM Doug Wilson says the team will keep the converted defenseman up front next season. As Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea.com shares, it’s as much about the current defense as it is Burns’ skill as a forward.

“We feel very strong how our defense is constructed and how we expect them to continue to grow,” the general manager said. “How we want to play up front and go after people and make them defend, Burnzie just fits perfect. He still will be able to play the point on the power play and we can utilize his big shot, but we saw how good he can be and how he can impact games as a forward.

“I think it’s only going to get better if he trains specifically for that this summer, giving him that clarity and focus. I think he is a dominant power forward in this league.”

Burns’ move up front seemed to awaken the Sharks forwards last season as the team tore it up late in the year. He made it all worthwhile scoring nine goals and adding 11 assists last season.

Many fans in Toronto didn’t go crazy for the big contract the Maple Leafs signed David Clarkson to during yesterday’s first day of free agency. The Toronto Sun, however, couldn’t resist comparing Clarkson to Leafs legend Wendel Clark.

Check out the front page lauding of the signing and the comparisons made between Clarkson and Clark. Also soak in the handlebar mustache and mullet they slapped on Clarkson’s photo to make him look more Wendel-like.

Wendel Clarkson is a pretty great mash-up.

Clarkson’s game is aggressive and he’ll likely blend into Randy Carlyle’s system without a problem. Comparing him to a player that’s so beloved like Clark is, however, just heaps even more pressure on him to perform.

And you thought signing a monster contract would be the part that puts the most pressure to perform. The legend of Wendel is not to be messed with.

Thomas played one game with New York last season and had no points. He spent most of last season with the Connecticut Whale in the AHL and did well in his first professional season scoring 19 goals with 16 assists.

As a 5′ 9″ 170-pound forward, he won’t do much to make the jokes about small forwards in Montreal go away. Thomas was a second-round pick by New York in 2010.

Kristo, meanwhile, had a big season in his senior year at the University of North Dakota finishing tied for second in the nation in points with 52. He was also second in the country in goals scored with 26 and was a Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist. At 5’11” 185, he’s a slick, speedy winger with an obvious knack for the net.